“And king Herod heard of him; (for his name was spread abroad:) and he said, That John the Baptist was risen from the dead, and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him.”
King Herod heard about this, for Jesus's name had become well known. Some were saying, John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him — the insertion of Herod's response to Jesus' reputation provides the occasion for the flashback narration of John's death. The speculation about Jesus' identity (John raised from the dead, or Elijah, or one of the prophets) is the first time the various popular identifications are mentioned — identifications that will reappear at Caesarea Philippi (Mark 8:28). Herod's specific fear (John raised from the dead) provides the psychological context for the John narrative.
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